As is well known in the medical profession, following use of a medical needle, the spent needle is usually manually broken to prevent any inadvertent reuses and disgarded to a biological waste container. However, there is always a small possibility that the spent needle may inadvertently stick or scratch medical health personnel, thereby exposing the medical personnel to substantial health risk. Although such health risks have always been present, the magnitude of such health risks has recently become crictical due to the prevalence of severe infectious diseases such as the HTLV virus (The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, i.e. AIDS Virus) and Hepatitis.
In recognizing the substantialy safety hazards associated with inadvertent needle sticks, and/or contact with spent medical needles, various devices have recently been introduced into the marketplace, which are designed to cover a spent needle after use. One such device presently being marketed comprises the HR Needle sold by ICU Medical, Inc, of Laguna Hills, California, which functions to almost completely enclose the needle subsequent to use. However, this HR device does not provide a housing or protective cover for the needle tip. This, of course, leaves open the possibility of medical health personnel being accidently stuck or scratched. In addition, the HR Needle, as well as other prior art safety needles, requires medical health personnel to utilize both hands in extending the needle safety cover over the spent needle. During such dual hand manipulation, there is always a possibility that one of the user's hands will slip from the guard device or syringe, whereby an inadvertent needle stick could occur.
As such, there exists a substanatial need in the art for an improved device for preventing an inadvertent needle stick from a spent medical needle, and further which allows the device to be used in a single hand of the user and be manipulated in a simple motion to cover the spent needle.